Days Out in West Cork

Here are some suggestions for exploration during your stay in wonderful West Cork.

With comfortable accommodation in your luxury West Cork cottage you are close to Skibbereen, Baltimore, Schull, Glandore and the rest of the beautiful West Cork area. You have a great choice of places to see and things to do.

Skibbereen Heritage Centre

This is a great starting point for any visit to Skibbereen and West Cork. It can be saved for a rainy day as it is one of very few indoor attractions. The Heritage Centre is divided into two parts. One half is dedicated to an exhibition of the Famine. When the Famine of 1845-47 hit, Skibbereen was one of the worst affected areas. The moving story is depicted in this exhibition. The other half of the Centre is dedicated to Lough Hyne and gives an insight into this beautiful and mysterious marine nature reserve. Get the background then visit the real thing.

Lough Hyne

No.1 in our ‘do not miss’ chart. Just a couple of miles south of Skibbereen, this beautiful lough is Ireland’s largest sea water lake. It is a marine nature reserve and spectacularly beautiful. There are some lovely walks around the lough but the forest walk to the top of Knockanagh Hill is just super. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour but the view of the entire coastline from the top is worth it.

Baltimore

Busy in summer but still enchanting. From here jump on a ferry to Sherkin Island or Cape Clear for deserted beaches and a real Irish experience . Take a leisurely stroll from the village to the Beacon and if you’ve got a head for heights, stand facing the expanse of the Atlantic – next stop America

The Mizen Peninsula

A fabulous day out. Passing through Schull, Goleen, Crookhaven, Barleycove Beach until you literally come to land’s end and the Mizen Vision Exhibition. Park the car at the Visitor Centre and make sure you walk to the old Coastguards Station at the very tip of Ireland.